Hello nice astronomy experts & gurus. Hello to you all "ME" in Rawdon, Leeds

[Beyond_Vision]

Welcome to SGL Jamie, glad to see you have been getting some good advice.

Regards

Kevin

[JamieH]

Hi E621Keith & thanks Beyond Vision.

I've Just ordered the Philip's Planisphere: Northern 51.5 Degrees - British Isles, Northern Europe Northern USA and Canada (Philip's Astronomy). Map.

It's going to arrive tomorrow. very quick delivery. I think there is a Full colour Season by season guide aswell & a plastic wallet to protect it. Also some instructions to use it which I will need.

Darkly recommended the Turn Left at Orion book. I did a search on amazon, & their are ones by different Authors. So I don't know which one is the best?

Also I noticed when using Stallarium, I couldn't see Plaides Star system anywhere North South East or West. Should it be there or am I not looking properly?

I'm about to setup my telescope today. Fingers crossed it all goes well. Thoses Barlow lenses that came wih the telescope, one is 10mm & one is 25mm. Is the 25mm the one I'm suppose to use for wider field of view & for focusing on something to set up the red dot finder?

Please tell me if I should start moving my other questions out of the Welcome thread & into the Begginners Advice thread

Thanks

Jamie

[darkly]

Hi E621Keith.

Darkly recommended the Turn Left at Orion book. I did a search on amazon, & their are ones by different Authors. So I don't know which one is the best?

Also I noticed when using Stallarium, I couldn't see Plaides Start system anywhere North South East or West. Should it be there or am I not looking properly?

I'm about to setup my telescope today. Fingers crossed it all goes well. Thoses Barlow lenses that came wih the telescope, one is 10mm & one is 25mm. Is the 25mm the one I'm suppose to use for wider field of view & for focusing on something to set up the red dot finder?

Jamie

Hello Jamie.

Get turn Left at Orion by clicking on the link at the bottom of my message. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turn-Left-Or...5160613&sr=1-1

I think this is the correct one - some one please correct me if I'm wrong - again

I've attached a screen shot showing the Pleaides on Stellarium tonight at 10:00pm, hopefully that should make it a bit easier for you to find.

There is also a search button on the left of the Stellarium screen you can use to find stuff, but you may have to experiment with object names a wee bit.

Hope this helps.

[darkly]

If you open stellarium, move your mouse to the left of the screen and click on help, scroll down and click on Stellarium User Guide Category:User's Guide - Stellarium you might find a few things to make life a bit easier for you.

Also, 25mm eyepiece is probably the one for the Plaeides

[JamieH]

Oh great thanks Darkly. Boy am I glad to see someone here that can help out. I will take the things you say into consideration, even if I don't acknowledge them upfront. I guesse I am eager to find lots of things out.

I now have a few things to tell you. They are accessories included with the Telescope. I wonder if you can help me understand them a bit more.

Do we know if it will be clear tonight. It was clear last night until later on when the clouds came over & ruined it all.

Maybe you can answer this one. I have ordered the Planisphere that E621keith recommended. It's 51.5 degrees one, Philip's Planisphere: Northern 51.5 Degrees - British Isles, Northern Europe Northern USA and Canada & should get to me by tomorrow.

But can you recommend a 30 to 60 degrees one aswell. Its the that nice yellow looking one . It's the David H. Levy's Guide to the Stars. It looks a nice one too.

Also I have just taken out the telescope equipment. This is what came with the telescope. Maybe you could help me break them down on what they will be useful for. Here goes,

1 Philip's Solar System Observer's Guide (Peter Grego)

2 Philip's Moon Observers Guide (Peter Grego)

3 Philip's Star Finder, (A month by month guide of the night sky, (John Woodruff & Wil Tirion))

4 Philip's Practical Astronomy (Storm Dunlop

5 90degree Diagnol Mirror

6 2x Barlow Lens 1.25"

7 Super 10mm

8 Super 20 Wide Angle Long eye relief

9 The Synscan

10 Is this the correct 1200mA Regulated Desktop Adaptor. It's an AC317, but unlike the picture on box showing a switch to change current. When I take it out of the box it doesn't have a button, or it does but it's sealed over. Will this deliver the correct current & wattage for my telescope?

Thanks Darkly, also these questions to anyone else.

Jamie

[darkly]

Oh great thanks Darkly. Boy am I glad to see someone here that can help out. I will take the things you say into consideration, even if I don't acknowledge them upfront. I guesse I am eager to find lots of things out.

I now have a few things to tell you. They are accessories included with the Telescope. I wonder if you can help me understand them a bit more.

Do we know if it will be clear tonight. It was clear last night until later on when the clouds came over & ruined it all. http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/nolocation.asp Metcheck weather forecast

http://www.astro-baby.co/astronomers_resources_free_software.htm

Maybe you can answer this one. I have ordered the Planisphere that E621keith recommended. It's 51.5 degrees one, Philip's Planisphere: Northern 51.5 Degrees - British Isles, Northern Europe Northern USA and Canada & should get to me by tomorrow. Not sure mate, you'll have to ask some of the other guys.

But can you recommend a 30 to 60 degrees one aswell. Its the that nice yellow looking one . It's the David H. Levy's Guide to the Stars. It looks a nice one too.

Also I have just taken out the telescope equipment. This is what came with the telescope. Maybe you could help me break them down on what they will be useful for. Here goes,

1 Philip's Solar System Observer's Guide (Peter Grego)

2 Philip's Moon Observers Guide (Peter Grego)

3 Philip's Star Finder, (A month by month guide of the night sky, (John Woodruff & Wil Tirion))

4 Philip's Practical Astronomy (Storm Dunlop

5 90degree Diagnol Mirror Goes on the bottom of the scope, your eyepieces fit into this, or your barlow and then an eyepiece

6 2x Barlow Lens 1.25" Doubles the mag of an eyepiece

7 Super 10mm Planets

8 Super 20 Wide Angle Long eye relief Deep space objects - Plaeides

9 The Synscan this is the goto bit

10 Is this the correct 1200mA Regulated Desktop Adaptor. It's an AC317, but unlike the picture on box showing a switch to change current. When I take it out of the box it doesn't have a button, or it does but it's sealed over. Will this deliver the correct current & wattage for my telescope? Not sure, someone with the same scope will have to let you know about this Is it the one your Dad used? If so probably correct.

Thanks Darkly, also these questions to anyone else.

Jamie

The books are probably helpful if you take time out to do some bed time reading, but, don't force it - a bit every night is best.

Enjoy

[JamieH]

This is my scope. Can you take a look? Here is the link, but some of the accessories they are packaging with it are different ones.

Sky Watcher Sky Watcher 70mm computerised SynScan AZ GOTO telescope astronomy starter kit

It's one accessory that the scopes n skies recommended.

Astro Engineering AC317 12V IC-Regulated AC Mains Power Supply Unit 1200mA

Ok, thanks for clearing that up. I have just been reading through the telescope Manual, & it explains the differences between refractors & reflectors. I have read the bit about setting up the mount. But I don't know what type mine is being Goto. In manual it explains basic Alt-AZ, AZ-3 ALT-AZ, EQ-1, EQ-2, EQ-5. The bit about attaching & aligning the finderscope seems very complicatedly explained

[JamieH]

SO i've just set up the Tripod & extended the legs as far as they will go. Tightened the legs. Not sure how to position the scope with the 0-90 degrees Marker?

Also the next thing I have done is to attach the Tripod Tray & then I attached the SynScan.

Haven't attached Red Dot Finder until tomorrow.

I have one AC317 power adaptor which is plugged into the Hand controller & it powers up. I have the RJ-45 lead plugged into one end of the SynScan & the other end into the RJ-11 on the Dovetail GOTO Mount.

When I plug in the AC317 to the SynScan I get this message, "No link to M.C. Stand Alone Mode. What does this mean?

Does it mean I only have power to SynScan?

How do I get power to both the Mount & the SynScan?

If I plug in the AC317 Power adaptor to just the Dovetail GOTO Mount, The SynScan does not power up?

Their is a battery connector & batteries included with the scope. I don't know if I am to use these or not?

[Bizibilder]

Hello JamieH and welcome to SGL!!

[JamieH]

Hi Bizibilder. Nice to meet you.

[Cornelius Varley]

LAT North 53degrees 51' 24", LONG WEST 1degree 40' 42". I need to know how to enter these properly in the Stellarium software & into the Synscan controller. The Stellarium software doesn't seem to like the coordinates input in the exact way I have show here. Looking at Synscan only further puzzles me which ones I enter & which ones I don't enter, so you guessed it I'm in need of help with figuring this out?

For Stellarium press F6 to bring up the location configuration window, then in the location search window type Leeds. Select this as your location and then press the "use as default" button. In the Synscan handset the coordinates need to be entered in the following order : 001 41W, 53 51N, the seconds are rounded up and ignored. The date format is mm/dd/yyyy and the timme format is 24Hr and DST is off untill the end of March.

Peter

[JamieH]

Thanks Cornelius Varley.

I thought I could power the telescope mount directly with the AC317. Instead I find the connector is wrong & I am having to use the battery pack to power the Mount & the SynScan.

If I plug in the AC317 to just the SynScan I get the feeling it doesn't power the Mount. That is wen I get the No Link to M.C. Stand-Alone Mode.

So currently I can only properly power the Mount using the battery pack included because it has the correct connector jack. But I want to powe the Mount & the SYnScan using the AC317. Do I have to buy a new connector tip to plug into the AC317, as the current one only fits into the SynScan Dc input & not the Mount DC input

[beamish]

Hya Jamie if you get stuck PM me if you'd like me to pop over and help you get things cleared up , I'm in West Leeds about 20mins from Rawdon and know it very well. Welcome aboard !

[darkly]

Haven't attached Red Dot Finder until tomorrow.

I have one AC317 power adaptor which is plugged into the Hand controller & it powers up. I have the RJ-45 lead plugged into one end of the SynScan & the other end into the RJ-11 on the Dovetail GOTO Mount.

When I plug in the AC317 to the SynScan I get this message, "No link to M.C. Stand Alone Mode. What does this mean?

Does it mean I only have power to SynScan?

How do I get power to both the Mount & the SynScan?

If I plug in the AC317 Power adaptor to just the Dovetail GOTO Mount, The SynScan does not power up?

Their is a battery connector & batteries included with the scope. I don't know if I am to use these or not?

Jamie.

Does the red dot finder work, if not it will require a new battery too!

Right, I'm not sure about the rest, so wild stab in the dark time and you'll need to check what I say with some one else on here who has the same or similar scope.

It's a refractor!!!

Remember, if you're using electrical stuff outside it needs to be RCD protected - to stop you frying yourself and friends, pets, telescope etc.

I think that the power supply would be for the mount and the handset is probably battery powered, the RJ-45 lead lead is just a data / comms lead.

Sooo, have a look at the battery connector, does it provide the same voltage as the AC317 Power adaptor, if so fit the batteries and plug that into the hand controller and see if they speak. With the RJ-45 plugged in of course.

But pleeese do check with someone else before doing this.

[JamieH]

Hi Beamish, it's nice to know that you are not that far away. I have been pulling my teeth & hair out today. I didn't realize that I might have the wrong connectors trying to power the thing. This no one is told who buys a scope like this.

Beamish & Darkly I only realized the No Link M.C. problem when I found that the connector for the AC adaptor is different to the one from the battery pack. No wonder that Mount & SynScan didn't work. when I found that the connector is an interchangable one that comes with the AC power Supply, but I need the tip that is the same as the connector on the battery pack to make the mount work & work the SynScan at the same time.

All I need to do is now find out where I buy the correct Connector Tip for the Ac Adaptor. I will be taking it outside tomorrow. I thought that the AC317 adaptor was already RDC'd. I mean it says it has like short circuit protection, automatic overload protection & automatic thermal shutoff & all that.

So I was thinking of using our Electrical extension reel to plug the AC317 into that. Then plugging the Electrical exntension reel into a Powerbreaker which will plug into like a 10 bar power extension in our Back Porch. The power extension in our Back Porch then plugs into a Mains AC power plug socket in our Kitchen.

SO what other way should I Power the Telescope through the AC317, other than what I have above. Should I be using another way with other equipment I don't have?

[beamish]

lets just that working first .

Try Maplins for the adapter tho I may have one and will have a looksie t'row (could be any number of hidey holes ).

If the reel is unwound and plugged in via an RCD socket you ought to be okay. I use a reel with it's own RCD built in but then the consumer unit (Fuse board ) is an upto spec RCD/MCD board, so even a sneeze would shut it off

Bare with me and I'll PM you if I find anything to help bail you out.

[JamieH]

Right. Well thanks for that Karlo. I'll have a little look at maplins too.

[JamieH]

Darkly, thanks to answering the Myriads of questions I had earlier. That really is great info for me & thanks for your & everyones Efforts. Now I understand how to connect htem properly, the eyepieces, the 90degree diagnal, the Barlow Lens to Magnify the other two eyepieces.

Can anyone tell me what the 90 degree diagnal does. I've heard you can get some type of corrector diagnal for terristrial viewing. What us the difference between them both & do they turn the image upside down or something?

To Darkly, No wonder I couldn't find the Pleides Star system! It wasn't labelled like other constellations on Stellarium.

[brantuk]

For aligning finder and ota - the further away the alignment point is the better. A pylon or chrch spire 1 or 2 miles is usually a good one. The stars are light years away and if you use nearby chimeneys or tv arials it'll need correcting when you turn on the sky. Plus you might not be able to focus that close

[JamieH]

AH, Brant, what's ota? The optical tube?

2 miles. Hmm. My Front garden it would have to be done in then because I don't think I can focus on something that far away from my back garden, back garden being where I will be doing all the observing. The reason for this is that in the back garden, there are trees, hedges & back gardens of houses, so there are just houses in distance over the back to my south & west where I will be pointing the scope. Because we are on a Hill, all I can see are arials on houses in the distance, but they are not that far. In front garden, we live up the hill of a fairly busy road, I live on a Hill. But in the front garden I can see over to the Shevin Moor. Not sure if their is anything I can focus on which is far enough away there though?

Darkly & Beamish. I'm not sure I have a RCD protection in the 6 bar extension socket in the Porch of my back garden where observing would be done, I think it's just a standard Extension socket. The extension reel is also just a standard reel I think with 2 black socket. I think it's just a standard Garden extension reel tbh. What if I use a Power breaker which we use for when we mowe the lawn. In case the cord gets cut.

Oh Darkly, cheers for the Useful tips for Stellarium. Location information & those coordinates. Are they ok for anyone in general within the Leeds, Rawdon area?

Thanks,

Jamie

[brantuk]

OTA - optical tube assembly

[Venus_is_my_friend]

Jamie,

Don't get too bogged down with making sure you get your co-ordinates bang on, it won't change the sky too much and once you get into matching what you see on Stellarium with what you see in the sky you will only really use Stellarium for star hopping.

I don't know if someone has answered your question about the planisphere and the East/West question, but you are meant to hold it upside.

A handy hint I found for Stellarium is that "/" will zoom in to your object and "\"will zoom out, you can also use "Page up" and "Page down" for zooming. This is helpful to know what moon you may be looking at or even star hopping on a local scale.

I was wanting to try and get a group of local astronomers to possible meet up somewhere local even if it was just for a chit chat. If I had a big enough group I would go onto the Ilkley Moors for some nice dark skies.

I unfortuately don't know too much about your scope, but if you are stuck for an answer to anything just drop me a PM and if I can I will help. Be aware that due to my work I may not reply straight away or it may take some hours, but I WILL reply.

[JamieH]

"WoW! A 10" Dob reflector. WoW!" You just keep bringing it, very useful info. Stellarium is a nice piece of software. What's that Starwalker like. I'm currently trying to get the tip into the connector the correct way. I have posted pics on the equipment thread.

Heck I am finding things difficult with just a simple refractor which doesn't need anywhere near the maintenance & obstacles that face one of those reflectors you have, like colimation & balance & the velcro pads on bases for smooth azimuth etc.. I read about all the issues someone found with it trying all sorts of ways to make the slew smooth so it doesn't bounce miles ofd focus when aligning.

When I was thinking of buying my first telescope. I was thinking of an Orion 12" Dob from Skywatcher in the bronze metallic browny black which had a 12,000 object database. before buying this Mercury 707 70mm from Skywatcher. Then I had second thoughts when I found Orions newer 12" grey looknig ones with SYnScan. But I still think they are push to & goto.

I decided that they would be too complicated for me to ever comprehend. A refracto is good enough for me. I suppose I would like an Achromat with the finest Shot glass for less false colour & light abberation. But they cost a lot more than mine 70mm. They are upto 120mm, 150mm with those EQ6, HEQ6 mounts, I think they are equatorial aren't they? I'm not sure! They cost like £1600.

I cannot seem to find anyone who has the same telescope as me. Everyone seems to be buying the Skywatcher Reflectors which are steps ups from mine. With bigger aperatures. Mind you the Reflectors with the bigger aperatures than mine have twice the focal length of mine, but the price is more than triple.

Oh. Hold the Planisphere upsidedown. Could you pos explain that a bit more as you know, I'm a bit of a thicko when it comes to finding my sense of directions & talking in geo graphical terms. Do you mean if I am facing Due South or thereabouts, Point the Planispheres North to the South that I am stood in or other way around? You just knew you would confuse me lol

I will be able to figure it out with all your help when I get one in my hand I guesse. It would be nice to see a pic to get the quick sense of how you should hold it in the directions you mentioned.

[Beyond_Vision]

If you hold the planisphere overhead and face the marking south towards the south and you have rotated the disc to the right time you should see the night sky in the same orientation. If you look for something like Orion or the plough you should be able to check it's orientated correctly

Regards

Kevin

[JamieH]

Hi Beyond Vision. So I hold the planisphere upto the sky pointing it downwards. I hold it with the South of the planishere to my south & the North to my North. Is that right? Is that correct?